Crafted in Scotland since 1861.Enjoyed by the discerning during
the Golden Age of ocean travel.Renowned throughout the world.
From our Glorious Journey to yours...
Kind Regards

Catto's Pioneering Spirit

An acclaimed pioneer in the art of blending, James Catto blazed a colourful trail by shipping his whisky around the world.
Fuelled by a tireless ambition, his visionary spirit and dedication to his craft inspired a brand which has stood the test of time.
That spirit is embodied by the like-minded individuals who continue to enjoy our exceptional Catto's blend to this day.
Our whisky is made with you in mind - for bold entrepreneurs the world over, whose horizons know no limits.

Discover our award winning whiskies.

Catto's Rare Old Scottish

Catto's 12 Years Old

Catto's 25 Years Old

Our Story

The Great Pioneer

In the long and rich history of the Scotch Whisky industry, few have played a more pivotal role than the legendary James Catto. One of the first to master the art of blending, this most enterprising of individuals launched Catto's Rare Old Scottish Highland Scotch in 1861.

Setting up shop in his home city of Aberdeen, James Catto was quick to harness the potential of what was then a thriving international port and he soon established a first-rate reputation with a widespread and influential clientele. This was, of course, the golden age of ocean travel, and James Catto's connections with the founders of the P&O and White Star shipping lines helped to ensure Catto's became the blend of choice aboard the glamorous cruise liners of the time.

To this day, Catto's Rare Old Scottish remains true to its original recipe of the finest malt and grain whiskies. The result is a smooth and timeless dram that continues to be celebrated around the world.

19th Century

1829

James Catto born in Aberdeen.

1861

James Catto opens a tea and spirit merchant in Aberdeen and sells his blend.

1873

James Catto's son, Robert is born.

1876

The warehouse moves to 21 Adelphi, just off Union Street. Headed paper from this address shows the company logo.

1878

The growing reputation of Catto's Rare Old Highland Scotch, saw it entered into the wine & spirit competition at the 1878 World's Fair in Paris, where a prestigious gold medal was awarded.

1884

Further success followed at the London International Exhibition in 1884, where Catto's Scotch received a further gold medal.

20th Century

1900

James Catto becomes a Limited Company.

1908

James Catto dies, aged 79.

1916

Robert Catto is killed in France, during WW1.

1918

James Catto & Company Ltd. was incorporated with a share capital of £10,000. Other shareholders were Corney & Barrow and W&A Gilbey.

1930's

An antique bottle from the 1930's of Catto's Extra Special Liqueur Blended Scotch Whisky.

1945

After WW2 Gibley's bought out Corney & Barrow and the company became a wholly owned subsidiary.

1962

W&A Gibley and United Wine Traders merge to form International Distillers and Vinters Ltd.

1966

Catto's Gold Label and 12 Year Old blends launch in the US with distributor, Victor Finshel & Co.

1970's

Antique bottle of Catto's Rare Old Scottish Highland.

1980's

Vintage pack shot

1990

Inver House Distillers Ltd. purchase James Catto and Co from IDV Ltd.

1990's

Vintage pack shot

2015

Catto's new brand identity starts to take shape.

The Journey Continues...

The Art of Blending

For over 150 years, Catto's has been blended to the highest standards; throughout this time the process has remained unchanged in its essence. Blended Scotch whisky is the wonderful marriage of both malt and grain whiskies, expertly brought together by our master blender to create the wonderful smooth blend that Catto's is renowned for.

The proximity of the Speyside and Highland regions to Aberdeen has historically had a huge influence on the taste profile of Catto's blended Scotch whisky. Highland malts are characteristically smooth, aromatic and floral, while Speyside malts are more delicate, fruity and sweet. As there is a very high malt content in Catto's Rare Old Scottish it is no surprise these smooth fruity characteristics exude from the final blend.

Malting & Milling

For malt whiskies, barley is malted by soaking it in water, and then allowing it to dry until it begins to germinate. This "green malt" is then transferred to a kiln where the heat stops the germination...
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Mashing & Fermentation

The enzymes created in the malting stage are awakened by mixing with batches of increasingly hot water in a vessel known as a mash tun...
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Distillation

After fermentation, the wash is then distilled twice in pot stills, first in the wash still and then in the spirit still, where the alcoholic content increases significantly...
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Maturation & Selection

The malt and grain spirit is transferred into oak cask that have previously contained either sherry or bourbon and is left to mature for a between three and 25 years...
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Will you join us on the journey?

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